Tuesday, 12 July 2011

Ever dreamt about seeing your book turned into a movie? Well, I haven't given it much thought, I reckon I've got a far way to go. Or at least, not consciously. But apparently my subconscious mind's been having a field day with it.
Last night I had such a vivid dream... I turned on the telly and there was the trailer to one of my upcoming books (hasn't even been released yet, lol). The trailer opened with my book cover (which I haven't got a clue about yet) but apparently some hidden part of me thinks it's going to be green. The entire cover. Different shades of pale green. Because my heroine is running out of a tunnel, the green lights from the tunnel behind her, carrying her shoes in her hands and looking ever so slightly bedraggled.

And this isn't your normal movie trailer with scene flashes, it was more like a partial, starting at the beginning and playing for the first couple of chapters. Helen Mirren was in it, laughing her head off about something, and my heroine was Jennifer Lopez for some wierd reason. And after a few minutes, the story veered off into something like a scene from My Big Fat Greek Wedding which has absolutely nothing to do with my book. And then my dream went to bits with everyone in the tv room suddenly talking at the top of their voices and me going into an endless loop of yelling at them to keep quite and rewinding so I could watch, repeat, repeat, repeat, wake up!

Thursday, 7 July 2011

I'm delighted to have Judy Croome here, author of Dancing In The Shadows Of Love. This is one of my favourite books of 2011 and if you're looking for a read that explores the depths of love and friendships, then I'd definitely recommend this one for you.

Judy, tell us a little about yourselfI originally started writing romances and completed six full length romances. The last two both went through several rounds of editing with a major international romance publisher. One was finally turned down and, by the last set of edits for the second manuscript, I’d changed so much as a writer, that I made the decision to not pursue a career as a romance author. I just read them for relaxation now! I still write about the human search for love, though, because Romantic Love is not the only type of love that exists. When I write now, I just approach the search for love from a different angle.

So what is Dancing in the Shadows of Love all about?

In the haunting “Dancing in the Shadows of Love,” three emotionally adrift women fight to heal their fractured worlds. Not everyone can be a hero. Or can they?

The story explores the sacrifices people make in the pursuit of a love that transcends everyday existence. Lulu’s quest, and that of Jamila and Zahra too, is to find the divine love that will fulfil their hopes and save their souls...if they can recognise the masks of those who seek to lead them astray.

I’m currently finishing up an anthology of short stories to be released in 2012. That’s called “The Weight of a Feather and other stories”. I’m also feeling a build-up of inner pressure to start my next full length novel, which I’ve been brooding on for some time (I don’t outline or plan – I brood!)

Do you have a nickname?

Do you remember Dumbo, the Flying Elephant? Walt Disney created this cute little elephant with these HUGE ears. I often drift off into a world of my own and then, when I come back, I realise I’ve missed out on some interesting conversation and say, “What did I miss? What did I miss?’ It can be irritating. One day a friend said that, when I sit up all round eyes and big ears flapping, I reminded him of Dumbo. I was called Dumbo for a long time after that!

When you were little, what did you want to be when you "grew up"?

A bride! I was nuts about brides. Still am. And 2011 has been a feast of TV viewing for me with all the beautiful royal brides, especially South Africa’s own Charlene Whittstock who recently married Prince Albert of Monaco to become Princess Charlaine.

If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be? Right where I’m living now: Johannesburg, South Africa. Okay, perhaps I’d move to Stellenbosch in the Cape, so I can be near mountains and get out of the big city. But, South Africa is so vibrant, so full of hope and potential, it’s the only country I could ever imagine myself living in.

What was your favorite children's book? Thomasina, by Paul Gallico. Thomasina was a cat, so there’s no real surprise there!